Last week Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba filed paperwork with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering (IPO). As one of the largest companies in the world’s second largest economy, Alibaba represents an enormous opportunity for investors. They are expected to raise between $15 and $20 billion, making this IPO potentially bigger than Facebook’s.

While Alibaba already handles more sales volume than eBay and Amazon combined, there is added room for growth as internet penetration in China is only around 45 percent. Online shopping is projected to increase at a rate of 27 percent per year as the still-poor country grows richer and more connected.

Regardless of the perceived opportunities, foreign investors are not entirely convinced that Alibaba will be a good buy. The attitude toward Chinese companies in general is one of skepticism and uncertainty – perpetuated most recently by concerns about the transparency in auditing practices. Read More...

Health care professionals in Egypt conduct a stakeholder analysis to help spell out governance principles for Egyptian hospitals.

A hip replacement in the United States, paid for out-of-pocket (i.e., without health insurance), would cost anywhere from $11,000 to $125,000, depending on what hospital you go to, according to a 2013 survey of 100 hospitals featured on National Public Radio. And that was among the hospitals that, when asked, could actually produce a quote – 40 of the 100 hospitals surveyed couldn’t quote a price at all.

Those fortunate enough to have insurance don’t need to worry about price-shopping. When I go to my primary care physician, I pay a $20 co-pay. (Under our previous insurance, provided by my wife’s former employer, it was $10. Why the difference? Who knows?) I have no idea how much my insurance company pays the doctor. I suppose I could find out, but… honestly? There’s really no compelling reason for me to do so. Read More...

Cartoons have an unparalleled ability to communicate universal ideas across cultures and language barriers. Cartoonists have long played a key role in the development of democracy — from the American and French revolutions through to defending media freedom and critiquing corruption in countries like Ecuador today.

CIPE’s Editorial Cartoon Competition is open to amateur and professional cartoonists of all ages from any country. First place winners in each category are eligible for a cash prize of $1,000.

“Corruption was a taboo word in 1996. My advisors were worried about using the c-word in my speech.”

Nearly 20 years have passed since the former World Bank President, James Wolfensohn, gave his groundbreaking speech on the “cancer of corruption” at the World Bank’s 1996 Annual Meetings. And the anti-corruption movement has come a long way.

At the World Bank’s discussion Speak Up Against Corruption, which featured Wolfensohn; Dr. Jim Kim, World Bank Group President; Paul Volcker, Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve; Cesar Purisima, Secretary Finance of the Philippines; and Haguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International, the panelists reflected on how much work there remains to fight corruption at the international and local levels.

Volcker emphasized how imperative it is for both developed and developing nations to focus on this evasive problem. “Corruption is not just about losing money in transactions…it’s also about destructing the rule of law of a society.”

Citing examples like the Open Government Partnership, which is a multilateral initiative in which over 60 countries have voluntarily committed to becoming more transparent governments, the panelists agreed that the global anti-corruption movement is moving in the right direction. Read More...

Corruption is a direct threat to a country’s democratic emergence and an obstacle to a country’s democratic development. In Thailand, for example, corruption was the stated justification for the military’s ousting of an elected government in 2006 and the Supreme Court’s sacking of another elected government in 2008. Competing allegations of corruption were the main drivers of nation-crippling unrest in the country.

In Thailand, as in other new and struggling democracies across the globe, if democracy is to mature and fully take root, more is required than just the ability to vote.

In countries including Russia, Thailand, Columbia and Serbia, CIPE is helping the private sector mobilize to take proactive steps to reduce corruption. These programs demonstrate the transformative impact that private sector Collective Action can have on a country’s fight against corruption.

In these countries, many segments of society feel shut out of the democratic process, not due to the lack of elections, but because they question the accountability and performance of their governments. Read More...

CIPE is the international affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and CIPE’s programs are at the cutting edge of anti-corruption and corporate governance around the world. With more than 30 years’ experience in more than 100 countries, CIPE reduces the cost and risk of operating in high-risk markets.